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Brown County

Brown County Highway Department

In short

Brown County Highway Department issues 3 permits we publish for Brown County, last verified 2026-10-07. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Trunk Highway Use of Right-of-Way / Utility Permitonly if it applies to youBrown County Highway Department$150–$1,500 per permit (2026 Adopted Budget; same figures on the Highway Permits page): Use of Right-of-Way permit $150; pavement open cut $1,000; utility permits — less than 1/4 mile $150, 1/4 to 1 mile $300, more than 1 mile $1,500; work without a permit 3 times the fee plus restorationper permit, per project2026-10-07
County Trunk Highway Access (Driveway) Permitonly if it applies to youBrown County Highway DepartmentNo fee is printed on the county's Driveway Permit Application, and the Highway Permits page fee table has no driveway line; contact the Highway Department (920-492-4925) for any charge before applying.one-time, per access point2026-10-07
County Trunk Highway Building Setback Permit (towns)only if it applies to youBrown County Highway DepartmentNo fee is printed on the county's setback permit application or in the Highway Permits page fee table; contact the Highway Department (920-492-4925) for the current fee before applying.per project; work must be completed within one year2026-10-07

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

County Trunk Highway Use of Right-of-Way / Utility Permit

A contractor or other business doing private work or utility work in County Trunk Highway right-of-way in Brown County needs a permit from the Brown County Highway Department. The department's Permits page says the right-of-way permit is the permit to construct, operate and maintain utilities within highway right-of-way and "is also used for any type of private work within County Trunk Highway right-of-way"; an open cut of the road also requires signing the department's five-year warranty agreement, and work that impedes traffic needs a traffic control plan. Per the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted October 29, 2025), the Use of Right-of-Way permit fee is $150, a pavement open cut permit $1,000, and utility permits $150, $300 or $1,500 by length; work without a permit costs three times the fee plus restoration. The Permits page shows the same figures under a table headed 2025 rates and fees, and the 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. The page states that municipalities that have signed the five-year warranty agreement are exempt from these fees for their utility work. Submit permits to Highway.Engineering@browncountywi.gov or call 920-492-4925.

County Trunk Highway Access (Driveway) Permit

A business adding or changing a driveway onto a County Trunk Highway in Brown County needs a permit from the Brown County Highway Department. The department's Permits page lists a "Permit to add or revise an access point onto a County Trunk Highway", says to submit page 1 of the Driveway Permit Application, that the owner must sign it, and that page 2 contains requirements and restrictions that must be observed. No fee is printed on the application, and the fee table on the Permits page has no driveway line, so no amount is given here; ask the Highway Department before applying. Submit to Highway.Engineering@browncountywi.gov or call 920-492-4925.

County Trunk Highway Building Setback Permit (towns)

The Brown County Highway Department's Permits page requires a permit to "Construct any type of structure in a Brown County township located within 200 feet of a County Trunk Highway", including new buildings, additions, signs, repairs, alterations, moving or wrecking. A business building, extending or putting up a sign on a site in a town within 200 feet of a County Trunk Highway applies on the county's setback permit application, which cites County Code ch. 6; the work must be completed within one year. No fee is printed on the application or in the Permits page fee table, so no amount is given here; ask the Highway Department for the current fee. The town's own building and zoning permits are separate. Submit pages 1 and 2 of the application to Highway.Engineering@browncountywi.gov or call 920-492-4925.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Brown County
Phone
920-492-4925

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Brown County 2026 Adopted Budget, Rates and Fees AppendixBrown County, Wisconsin · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
  2. Brown County 2027 Proposed Budget — Appendices, "Rates and Fees" (published October 1, 2026; proposed only)Brown County Executive · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  3. Brown County Code ch. 6 — Highways (§6.08 building setback permits), revised 4-26-2017Brown County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  4. Brown County Highway Permits — permit types and rates and fees tableBrown County Highway Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  5. Building Setback Permit Application (County Code ch. 6)Brown County Highway Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  6. Driveway Permit Application (County Trunk Highway access)Brown County Highway Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07

Other offices serving Brown County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Wisconsin jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.